Lib Dems promise fairer NHS
The Liberal Democrats have pledged to introduce a fairer NHS, in which the founding principles of a free service, based on need and funded through general taxation are “reinvigorated”.
Launching his party’s health manifesto, deputy leader Menzies Campbell said they would scrap charges for dental and eye tests and launch an independent review into the prescription system.
He also highlighted plans to provide free personal care for the elderly.
Charles Kennedy was not present at the press conference due to the birth of his son, and Sir Menzies was again deputising for him.
He said the prescribing system had not fundamentally changed since 1948, but drugs and medicines had. “Many people with long term illnesses like Cystic Fibrosis and Multiple Sclerosis have to pay for their life saving drugs, while people with diabetes and epilepsy get them for free,” he added.
Health spokesman Paul Burstow added that prescription charges deterred the poor from taking medicines, suggesting that there were over 100,000 people in Britain who either did not take needed medicines, or took smaller doses in an attempt to save money. This could cost the NHS more in the long run, he added.
Pledging to move towards a preventive system, Mr Burstow said: “Free checks will help to spot disease early and are part of our plans to tackle the root causes of ill health”.
The Lib Dems estimate that scrapping charges for eye and dental checks will cost £205 million in 2006/07. And they have set aside £225 million to implement the findings of a review into prescription charges to give more people with long-term conditions free prescriptions. The money would be found by diverting funding from lower priorities.
Lauding the policy of providing free long-term care for the elderly, Sir Menzies pledged to end the “unfair contradiction at the heart of policy towards older people.
“A person in a care home with Alzheimer’s has to pay for their care, while someone in hospital who has a stroke does not”.
He added: “It’s time to reinvigorate the founding principles of fairness in the NHS.”
But, there was no mention in the mini manifesto of waiting lists.
Challenged by journalists, Mr Burstow said that details would be revealed later on in the campaign, but that their policy of investing “substantially” in diagnostic care would reduce waits.
